The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that occured on Tuesday night outside a mosque in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa that led to seven fatalities.

An IS suicide bomber detonated his explosives belt among a group of Houthi rebels who were gathered outside the al-Nour Mosque in the northern Annahda district of Sanaa. IS has claimed that the Houthi fighters were "preparing to head to the front lines of battle" against IS forces.

Media sources aligned with the Houthis said that a further three people were wounded in the blast, while a source at the Ministry of Health in Sanaa placed the number of wounded at 10 but did not specify whether they were worshippers or Houthi fighters.

IS also claimed responsibility for an attack that targeted Vice President Khaled Bahah at a hotel in southern port city of Aden yesterday, the first attack against Yemeni goverment and Saudi-led coalition targets claimed by IS. Fifteen coalition troops were killed, including four Emirati soldiers.

This is not the first time IS has attacked mosques in Yemen, with the most recent bombing occuring during the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha that left at least 25 killed and 36 wounded.

The Houthis have held Sanaa since September 2014, forcing the Saudi-backed Yemeni government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi to set up a temporary capital in Aden.